Reclining-chair.



PATENTED 0016, 1903. w. A. YLIB. REGLINING CHAIR. APYLIGA'HOH FILED DEG. 1, 1902.

I0 MODEL.

ismmmummlmI-m WITNESSES ATTORNEK Tm: man-vs PETERS co micro-urns!" WASRINGTDN o c UNITED STATES fatented Octoben 6, 1903;

PATENT OFFICE.

RECLl-NlNG-GHAIR.

SPECIFICATION formingpartof Letters Patent No. 740,968, dated October 6, 1903.

Application filed December 1, 1902- Serial No. 133350. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. WYLIE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reclining-Chairs; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and

to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to adjustablereclining-chairs that are designed to be adjusted by the Occupants of the chairs while either sitting or reclining therein, and the invention has reference particularly to the means whereby the back may be adjusted, to the latching devices for the back, and also to scribed, and pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a fragmentary side elevation of a chair constructed substantiallyin accordance with my invention, showing the parts essential to an understanding of the invention, the back being in an upright position; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical sectional view showing the back in an inclined position and the latch and arm -rests in corresponding positions; Fig. 3, a horizontal sectional view taken in a plane above the main frame and showing a top plan of the main frame and also of the latching devices; Fig. 4, a longitudinal sectional view showing the back and the latching devices in positions they would assume when moving the back from a full reclining position to an upright position or while be ing reversed; Fig. 5, a fragmentary perspective view of a side rail and journal-box for supporting the chair-back; Fig. 6, a fra mentary vertical transverse sectional view showing the. devices for mounting the armrest supports; Fig. 7, a side elevation of a complete latch-rack; Fig. 8, a top plan view of a rack bar part of the latch-rack; Fig. 9, a fragmentary perspective view of a side bar of the back-frame and the pivot thereof; Fig. 10, a perspective view of a latch-bar and back-brace combined, and Fig. 11 a perspective view of the cut-out bar of the latch-rack. Similar reference characters in ihe'several figures of the drawings indicate corresponding parts.

In construction the chair comprises suitable legs A AA A to which is rigidly secured asuitable main frame,comprising railsB B B B The rear legs A A may have upright I posts a, attached-thereto extending upwardly beyond the main frame. A back-frame, comprising side bars G C and a cross-bar b and such other members as maybe desired, is pivoted substantially to the main frame or to connecting portions thereof. Rocking armrest supports D D are mounted at the forward side portions of the main frame, and the back-frame side bars are also employed as rocking arm-rest supports, arm-rests E E being pivotally connected to the rocking armrest supports. Within the main frame are one or more latch-racks supported by suitable means, as the side rails 13 B of the frame, each latch-rack comprising a rack-bar F or F, preferably made right and left hand in pairs and-secured to the side rails, and a cutout bar G or G for each rack-bar is pivoted thereto, or substantially so, and cooperating therewith. Combined latch-bars and backbraces H, one for each latch-rack, are piv oted to the lower portion of the back-frame and operate in connection with the latchracks. The cut-out bars and also the latchbars are made right and left hand when more F, and each one has a thin end 1; and a base the rear ends thereof, are mounted journal-- boxes I, having each a bearing e and a lugf forward of the bearing. The forward end of the box is secured by a screw 9 to the rail. A cap-plate J for the bearing has a lug h engaging the lugf, and the rear end of the plate, together with the rear end of the box, is secured by a screw 1' to the rail. Pivot-plates K are secured to the side bars of the backframe, each plate having a pivot-pin j extending from the side bar into a bearingbox. The caps J are logged to the box I, so as to be easily connected in assembling the parts.

The pivoting devices for connecting the arm-rests E E to the back-frame may be such as are commonly employed for hanging mirrors in their frames, each comprising a plate L, secured to the under side of an arm-rest,

and a plate M, secured to the rear side of a side bar 0 or G of the back-frame, the two plates being connected together by a pivotpin is in such manner that there may be frictional resistance to the pivotal movements as between the plates.

The .forward portions of the arm-rests E E are connected to the rocking supports D D by means of well-known T- hinges, the short broad leaves N of which are attached to the under sides of the arm-rests, and the long narrow leaves 0 of which are attached to the tops of the supports, the hinge-pins Z being between the rest and the supports. The armrest supports may be shaped and ornamented in various designs, according to the quality of the chair, to correspond with the general design thereof.

In order to mount the arm-rest supports D D in a substantial manner, the pivots thereof are composed of a single rotative shaft P, extending from side to side of the main frame and mounted in bearings m therein, the bearings comprising holes bored in the side rails B 13 (and the holes may also extend through the legs A A, if desired.) The lower end portions of the supports D and D are attached securely to the opposite ends of the shaft at the outer sides of the side rails, preferably by means of thimbles Q, which in the present case consist of pipe-fitting bushes having flanges n and screwed into the wooden members D and D, the ends of the shaft being screwed into the bushes. The shaft may be composed of tubing. Usually a washer p is let into the side rail to receive the wear of the bush-flange n.

The rack-bars F and F have ratchet-teeth g at their tops, and at their inner sides are projecting posts 7" and s. Screw-holes 1 and 2 are provided whereby to secure the bars to their supports. Each bar also has steps if and u, at or near opposite ends thereof, extending upwardly from the bar-top. The cut-out bars G and G are designed to suit the .bars F and end on, having a pivot-hole y. The body portion of the bar projects from one side of the plane of the base portion, so that the end 10 of the operative body portion is somewhat removed from the pivot of the bar. The cutout bars are pivoted on the screws 7, that extend through the holes 1 at the rear ends of the rack-bars, and normally the ends v rest upon the tops of the rack-bars beyond the ratchet-teeth near the stops t.

The combined latch-bars and back-braces H and H act as pawls in connection with the rack-bars, and each one is provided at one end thereof with pivot-pins 3 and 4, which are engaged by holders 6, secured to the side bars 0 O of the back-frame. At the opposite ends of the latch-bars are projecting pins 5, which are attached thereto at the sides nearest to the members that support the rackbars, as the rails B B The pins may ride upon the cut-out bar or engage the ratchetteeth of the rack-bar as well as the end stops of the rack-bar.

In practical use if the chair-back be elevated to an upright position the tendency to fall back too rapidly will be resisted by the friction-pivots connecting the back and the arm-rests. The pins will rest upon the rackbars at the fronts of thestops t. If the top of the back be pushed rearwardly, the latchbars will be carried forwardly, the pins riding upon the bars G G to the ends w, from which they will drop against the stops it to the rack-bar, when the back will be in full reclining position. If now the back be slightly elevated, the latch-bars will be drawn rearwardly, and as the pins 5 engage the teeth q the back will be prevented from descending, while it may be further elevated as may be desired. The occupant of the chair may perform the operations by pushing the arm-rests forward or backward and also assist by leaning against the back of the chair. Whenthe back may have been completely elevated, the pins 5 will again engage the stops t, pushing up the ends 1) of the cut-out bars in passing thereunder.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a reclining-chair, the combination ofa main frame, forward arm-rest supports piV- oted to the outer sides of the main frame, rearward arm-rest supports pivoted upon the top of the main frame and extending downwardly within the frame, rack-bars secured to the inner sides of the main frame, latchbars connected to the lower extremities of the rearward arm-rest supports and cooperating with the rack-bars, lower hinge-leaves secured to the tops of the forward arm-rest supports and curved downwardly on the rear portions thereof, arm-rests pivoted to the rearward arm-rest supports and extending over and also laterally beyond the sides of the forward arm-rest supports, and upper hingeleaves pivoted to the lower hinge-leaves and extending laterally beyond the sides of the forward arm-rest supports and secured at their extremities to the portions of the armrests that extend laterally beyond the said forward supports, substantially as set forth.

2. In a reclining-chair, the combination of a main frame, forward arm-rest supports pivoted to the outer sides of the main frame, journal-boxes mounted upon the sides of the main frame, two rearward arm-rest supports connected together and also comprising a back-frame, pivoting-plates secured to the rear faces of said rearward supports and extending to the outer side faces thereof provided with pivoting-pins extending into said journal-boxes in a plane immediately, above said main frame, rack-bars secured to the inner sides of the main frame, latch-bars connected to the lower extremities of said rearward supports and cooperating with the rackbars, and arm-rests pivoted upon the tops of said forward supports and also pivoted to said rearward supports, substantially as set forth.

3. In a reclining-chair, the combination with the main frame having the hearings in the forward portions thereof and with the forward arm-rest supports, of the improved pivoting devices for said supports consisting of the hollow shaft mounted rotatively in said bearings, the thimbles adj ustably secured to opposite ends of said shaft and also to said arm-rest supports, the washers secured to the outer sides of said frame at said bearings,

and the flanges secured to said thimbles ad- WILLIAM A. WYLIE.

Witnesses:

,WM. H. PAYNE,

E. T. SILVIUS. 

